Bayer has launched a group-wide Bayer Climate Program with a goal of cutting CO2 emissions from its production facilities.

In the new climate protection program, which is based on a new Bayer Policy on Climate Change, Bayer will tap its “specific expertise as an inventor company.”

Bayer is investing approximately $1.46 billion in climate-related research and development and other projects in the next three years.

It’s already working on its first projects: a concept for zero-emission buildings for offices and other industrial buildings dubbed the “EcoCommercial Building,” the development of stress-tolerant plants and systems to encourage the effective use of crops for biofuels, and the “Bayer Climate Check” for optimizing production processes.

For the period between 2005 and 2020, Bayer has also set new emission targets.

The Bayer MaterialScience subgroup wants to reduce its specific greenhouse gas emissions per ton of sales product by 25 percent globally. Bayer CropScience is targeting a reduction of 15 percent in its absolute global emissions, and Bayer HealthCare of 5 percent.

In addition, initially in Germany and then gradually in other countries, incentive systems will be introduced for using low-emission vehicles and gas-fueled company cars. From 2007 to 2012, the Group wants to cut the emissions caused by company vehicles by 20 percent.